Episode 134: Another Listen: Paul McCartney’s Flowers in the Dirt

[@blachubear]

CRAP!!! How in the hell I missed this episode live? Grrrrrr!!!! "Flowers In The Dirt" is one of my favorite albums. Sadly when that moment comes when Paul pass on, people look back at the solo albums their slept on plus the material he kept in the vault will be release with his kids looking after his master recordings.

[@olivergrant8642]

My Brave face starts with just vocals too!

[@catsofsherman1316]

It felt like a return to form at the time especially with the songs being featured on the tour. It hasn't aged particularly well to my ears, but but several strong songs that fit nicely in the McCartney canon. I really like We got Married with the Gilmore guitar. I wish the McCartney/Costello songwriting partnership could have been an ongoing thing. Not from this album of course, but So Like Candy was a great song from the two of them on Elvis' record.

[@kylehandtunes]

Great TMT! This was one of the first solo Paul albums i dove into. Haven’t listened to it in a couple of years and wow, this is a really special album. My parents got engaged in 1989, and I love imagining My Brave Face on the radio in the background of their lives

[@geriwings]

fun !!! thanks to the 4 of you Scuse me my english( speak spanish) it was Nº 1 in uk and platinium in both US and UK (the tour made the album get platinium in US) i remember see that after a few mounths it sold more than 2.200.000 units worldwide

[@ricardo_miguel13]

Off topic but: RIP Françoise Hardy. The great woman of chanson of the 60s died with 80 years after a fight with cancer where she couldn't sing in her last years. Besides her early beat music that made her popular and part of the yéyé-girl scene she was an style icon of her time, admired by Bob Dylan who sended her hopeless love letters and refused to continue the concert if she won't talk to him backstage. Also admired by Mick Jagger and David Bowie, the Beatles met her aswell with Paul going to dinner with her when they played in Paris 1965. She also did a fine duet with the band Blur called "To The End (La Comedie)". Five of her best songs: 1. Tous les garçons et les filles (1962, her breakthrough hit with only 18 years in beat music style, the album was mostly written by her, a year before the Beatles relasted their first and only half self written album) 2. Le temps de l'amour (1962, got more popular with the Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom and a modern remix) 3. Mon amie la rose (1964, slow and melancholic song) 4. Comment te dire adieu (1968, another great hit with good orchstration, an original english song redone by french master Serge Gainsbourg) 5. Message personnel (1973, a very mature and good song after her hype)

[@patriksweden9203]

Re live watching now❤🎉

[@tonylaughlin6663]

That Day is Done another fav from that album.

[@billleary5779]

Love Flowers in the Dirt….. purchased it on the day of release June 6 1989 in the U.S. the day I graduated high school. This was the first McCartney album I bought on the day of release. I was hoping for a big hit for him. Part of the problem was the timing of his tour compared to the album release with album coming in early June and the tour not coming to the states until late November which is a 5 month gap. Although the tour did help the album stay in the top 200 albums for 49 weeks. Great episode.

[@realjaxon]

Lately, someone is always late to speak at the beginning of the program. BTW, a former "Beatle" who played with them for 2 weeks in the early 60's, died about a month ago. I'm sorry that I have forgotten his name.

[@kenmichaelsradio748]

You are reffering to Chas Newby, who played bass in the Beatles in Dec. 1960. It was reported here when he died in May of last year. On my other podcast, Things We Said Today, we interviewed him in 2013. You can listen to it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h52Xnn6dpc6hfac

[@realjaxon]

@@kenmichaelsradio748 Over a year ago already? Seems like only a month or two ago that Chas died. Thanks Ken. I missed that show.

[@garrywilbur7238]

Great TMT! Enjoyed the discussion of Flowers. My Brave Face.shouldve been too 5!

[@debbieramsey-hanks3757]

Thank you much appreciated

[@billleary5779]

Thanks!

[@talkmoretalksolobeatles]

Thank YOU

[@jamesmanon3000]

Motor of Love That Day is Done and How Many People were the songs I listened to the least.It's still a cool album.I also enjoyed the extra tracks on the singles.

[@nicksyrett]

Anyone know the Ringo link?

[@KitOToole]

I'm going to get that from Ken. Thanks!

[@christopherhahn6728]

Flowers in the Dirt is a great album, but the Archive release was the most bungled of the lot. Most hardcore McCartney fans want physical media, not downloads; releasing the b-sides from the sessions as downloads only was a major mistake. I refused to buy the deluxe set, opting for the 2-disc set. Furthermore, I would have preferred the b-sides to be on the 2-disc set instead of the Costello demos.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

I said that once already but here in Austria (and other european countries I suppose) mostly play Pauls 80s stuff, and some european hits like Mull of Kintyre. That especially includes Hope Of Deliverance and This One which were big hits. I think This One was actually only a top 10 it in my country Austria at #8. My parents only know that song from the album..

[@CECmass0325]

If anyone is interested once the one on one release comes out. I will be DEMIXING Yoko out of the full thing and releasing it

[@MeanMrMayo]

Not interested.

[@CECmass0325]

@@MeanMrMayotrue we know when yoko releases her Uber $1700 Yokos plastic ono band record Box Joe is the first to take out a loan to get it 😅

[@christophertalbot9064]

How Many People is an awesome reggae pop song. Should have been a single. Brilliant. This One and How Many People are the only two tracks that give me that tingle up the spine feeling. But I love every track apart from the chorus on Don't be Careless love which sounded better on the demo.

[@DavidBLevy]

I think Joe nailed it, although I probably like Flowers more than he does. But, I agree with his basic premise that it's uneven while being a step in the right direction.

[@joegordon2915]

I have to say I greatly prefer side 2 and am a big fan of how many people, motor of love and ou est le soleil(cd). I also absolutely hate you want her too on side one and am not too fond of rough ride. . Over all I think it one of his better albums, but I also find myself playing off the ground much more often than this.

[@christophertalbot9064]

Agree with Joe, This One would have been a better first single off Flowers

[@kylehandtunes]

Sorry for the fourth comment, but I would currently rank McCartneys decades as: 80s 70s 00s 90s 10s

[@tonylaughlin6663]

Put it There is a great tune. This One, Put it There my two favs on the album. Figure of Eight is good too. Rest of it is good, solid McCartney fare. Out of his catalogue this album falls somewhere in upper 3rd I would say.

[@tonylaughlin6663]

Maybe comeback to touring, return to form in terms of making good records. Hard to say comeback when he was recording and releasing stuff throughout the 80s. John Lennon Double Fantasy more of what I would think as a comeback....

[@phiniram]

Flowers wasn't a flop! It stay 50 weeks in the top 200 and went platinum!

[@kenmichaelsradio748]

You make a good point about the longevity of the 50 weeks. It still deserved to chart higher than #21 in the U.S. And others her have made a valid point of the album doing better in Europe. But I can tell you that in terms of radio in the U.S. it received very little airplay.

[@musicsoundgear]

FitD is a good album, but the Archive Collection set was overpriced especially since it had Downloadable content and didn't have the stuff on the Cassette from RSD 2017 the Demos. Plus all the booklets were paper bound. I was quite disappointed in the lavish box for those reasons - I sold mine. (again, this is all IMO. If you liked it and are happy with it, that is great!)

[@davepounds8924]

Here’s my question for the people who love Ringos recent EPs If this wasn’t an ex Beatles drummer who put these mediocre songs together would you buy these songs??? I doubt it

[@kenmichaelsradio748]

It's your opinion that these songs are mediocre, and you're entitled to that opinion. I happen to like most of what he's done in his solo-career. I also happen to feel that because he and the others are ex-Beatles that their solo-music is over-criticized.

[@MeanMrMayo]

Dave, what does it matter? I enjoy much of Ringo's solo music, and that includes the EPs .

[@davidjackson5449]

Flowers in the dirt reached No 1 in the Uk albums chart so your comments refer to the Usa music scene not here. Paul's popularity decline was not in albums success but in the singles market where all the singles from the album failed to reach the top 20. Tom Petty failed to have any great sucesss in the Uk. Elvis Costello's singles success had already passed by this time in the Uk Veronica being a bigger hit in the USA

[@kylehandtunes]

Another listen suggestion: self titled George Harrison!

[@kenmichaelsradio748]

I've suggested it to the others, and hope we will do it!

[@kylehandtunes]

@@kenmichaelsradio748 Thanks Ken! Been loving the shows lately.

[@kylehandtunes]

We are so spoiled as McCartney fans if THIS gem is mid tier or a B.

[@callmemrbroadstreet5602]

Probably Randal from Spinnaker Records. I will ask next time I am there.